[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 9, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PEACE CORPS ACT AUTHORIZATION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 669) to 
     amend the Peace Corps Act to authorize appropriations for 
     fiscal years 2000 through 2003 to carry out that Act, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, as an original cosponsor of 
H.R. 669, the Peace Corps reauthorization bill, I was pleased to vote 
yes on this legislation that will increase the number of Peace Corps 
volunteers from today's 6,700 to 10,000 over the next four years. To 
achieve this modest number, H.R. 669 authorizes $270 million for fiscal 
year 2000.
  I do not simply support this bill because I myself was a Peace Corps 
volunteer. I support this bill because the demand, both internationally 
and domestically, is real.
  In the Caucasus, Central Asia and Africa, burgeoning new democracies 
are crying out for Peace Corps volunteers. In Central Asia, 
particularly Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, health volunteers are 
especially in need to teach sanitary living skills and show mothers how 
to better nourish their children with available resources. Programs in 
Africa chronically need more volunteers, especially in HIV/AIDS 
prevention and girls' education.
  The recently created programs in South Africa and Jordan, having 
proved themselves successful, need more volunteers to expand current 
programs to meet country needs. Recently agreements have been reached 
with China, Bangladesh and Mozambique to begin Peace Corps programs. 
New volunteers ready to take on not only the usual Peace Corps 
experiences in a country and culture they are unfamiliar with, but also 
willing to meet the challenges of being the first Peace Corps 
volunteers in a country are needed.
  As we have learned around the world, the best way to support a 
democracy is to help development at the local level. The Peace Corps is 
one of the most effective mechanisms for doing just that.
  Unfortunately, natural disasters and humanitarian crises continue at 
an alarming rate, devastating countries just beginning to prosper. In 
these instances, the international community is quick to provide 
assistance to save lives, restore hope, and, in the long run, buttress 
democracy. The Peace Corps has developed the Crisis Corps to use 
language and cultural knowledge that Peace Corps volunteers possess to 
assist in these times of need.
  An increase in Peace Corps volunteers will allow Crisis Corps 
volunteers to be sent for hurricane relief missions in Central America 
and keep open the possibility of sending volunteers elsewhere should 
they be needed.
  Domestic demand for more Peace Corps volunteers is just as 
impressive. Last year, 150,000 Americans requested information about 
joining Peace Corps. This is an increase of approximately 40% over the 
last four years. In the same time frame, Peace Corps has been able to 
support only a 2% increase in the number of volunteers (this with a 13% 
decrease in headquarters staffing since 1993, and a 14% drop in support 
costs per volunteer from FY93 to FY98).
  Americans, young and old, single and married, would like to serve 
their country, humanity and democracy. This is an asset we should not 
let go to waste. It is my sincere hope that H.R. 669 is signed into 
law, allowing more Americans the opportunity to participate in the 
Peace Corps, the hardest job they will ever love